The invention relates generally to a coulter assembly, and more specifically, to a spring biased coulter disk scraper.
In agricultural settings, coulters are typically towed behind a work vehicle, such as a tractor, via a mounting bracket secured to a rigid frame of the implement. Coulters are generally configured to excavate a trench into soil, and may assist in delivering a liquid or dry fertilizer into the trench. Specifically, certain coulters include a coulter disk that cuts into the soil as the coulter moves along the terrain. A penetration depth of the coulter disk is generally regulated by a gauge wheel. In a typical configuration, the gauge wheel is positioned adjacent to the coulter disk and rotates across the soil surface. The coulter disk is positioned below the gauge wheel such that the coulter disk penetrates the soil. A vertical offset distance between the coulter disk and the gauge wheel determines the coulter disk penetration depth.
Such coulters often include a scraper disposed adjacent to the coulter disk to remove accumulated soil. In certain configurations, the scraper is positioned along a soil engaging portion of the coulter disk. Such scraper configurations serve to remove soil that may stick to the disk, widen the trench excavated by the coulter disk, and deliver fertilizer to the soil. The scraper is typically rotationally coupled to the same support structure as the coulter disk and adjusted to maintain a sufficient contact force with the coulter disk to facilitate soil removal. However, during coulter operation, both the scraper and coulter disk experience wear, thereby reducing the contact force below a desired level. Therefore, the scraper is periodically readjusted to compensate for the wear. Because of the large number of coulters typically utilized on an implement, the readjustment process can be quite time consuming, and may significantly delay cultivation activities and increase farming costs.